Parents' Guide to Mother Mary

What begins as quiet, still, intense, and conversational takes a turn for the surreal in this dreamlike thriller from director David Lowery. Mother Mary may not be action packed, but there's a lot going on. The Gothic settings are full of symbols and motifs, every shot enhanced by shadowy corners, illuminated spotlights, and repeated flashes of red. Dream-like fantasy sequences flow into reality, and emotions manifest themselves physically, like the extraction of a wisdom tooth mirroring the need to cut a person out of a character's life. Hathaway has proven her vocal talents repeatedly, and here she performs as an international pop star, supported by music from the likes of Charli XCX and FKA Twigs. Beyond her performances, the electronic music is often jarring, unsettling—a mood that carries through into a memorable scene where Hathaway dances alone to silence, her body appearing possessed and the only soundtrack her breath, grunts, and feet hitting the wooden floorboards. There are elements of dark humor, and an occasional playfulness to the way the two women approach each other, wary yet drawn together, trapped but gradually unravelling toward a sense of freedom. It's bizarre in places, and at times a bit self-aware, but this journey of connection, identity, and the resurfacing of buried wounds is undeniably powerful.